Globe View (Live Cameras):
An interactive map of geolocated camera sources. Each pin represents a webcam or video feed from our catalog, positioned where it's located on Earth.
How to use it: click or tap a pin to open its preview panel. Thumbnails update periodically — if you see "No thumbnail available," the source may be offline or blocking snapshots; try opening the source link or check back soon.
Zoom to your region and scan along auroral latitudes (roughly 55°–75°) to spot clear, active skies. Use it alongside the live space weather cards and Substorm Probability - when conditions look favorable, nearby pins can confirm real-time aurora visibility and cloud cover.
Substorm Probability
This is an at-a-glance estimate of how likely it is that an auroral substorm will start or intensify in the next ~hour.
How it works
A real-time AI model looks at solar wind data — especially IMF Bz (southward = higher probability), coupling functions, solar-wind speed/density, and GOES Bx/By/Bz (nightside stretching). It processes the last ~2 hours, updates once per minute, and outputs a 0–100% probability.
How to use it
>50%: conditions are building — keep an eye on the sky.
>70%: elevated chance of a substorm onset or brightening soon.
Best when combined with darkness, clear skies, and your location relative to the auroral oval.
NOTE: This is a probability, not a guarantee; brief data gaps or provisional feeds can affect it.
Summary (max across horizons)
Now:—%
15 min:—%
No data
30 min:—%
No data
60 min:—%
No data
Rolling window
Live Space Weather
Live Space Weather — Field Guide
Kp Index (0–9): Planet-wide 3-hour index; useful for background context but not great for real-time chasing (it’s averaged and delayed). Rely on the live fields below for minute-to-minute decisions.
IMF Bz (nT): Southward (negative) opens the “gate” for energy to enter Earth’s magnetosphere. More negative = more geoeffective.
IMF Bt (nT): Total Interplanetary Magnetic Field strength. Larger Bt amplifies coupling.
Coupling (E_KL, mV/m): Current solar-wind → magnetosphere drive. ~1 mV/m is elevated; ≥2 mV/m is strong.
SW Speed (km/s): Faster wind carries more energy; ≥500 km/s is elevated.
SW Density (cm⁻³): Sudden spikes compress the magnetosphere and can trigger onsets/brightenings.
Hemispheric Power (GW): Estimated auroral power; ≥20–30 GW is active, ≥50 GW is typically very bright.
Bz Sustained South (min): How long Bz has stayed negative—persistence matters more than one-minute dips.
How to use it: Look for Bz staying south, Bt sizable, E_KL rising, plus faster wind/density spikes and increasing Hemispheric Power. Sustained trends over 10–30 minutes are more meaningful than single blips.
Kp Index:–
Kp Index:
Kp is a 3-hour, planet-wide activity index. It’s great for overall context, but it updates slowly and lags real time.
Use Kp as a backdrop for the night, not as a minute-to-minute trigger. For chasing, the live fields below are more informative.
IMF Bz:–
IMF Bz:
Bz tells you if the interplanetary magnetic field is pointing south (negative) or north (positive). Southward Bz opens the “gate” for energy to flow into Earth’s system.
The longer Bz stays negative — and the more negative it is — the higher the chance for strong aurora and substorm activity.
IMF Bt:–
IMF Bt:
Bt is the total strength of the interplanetary magnetic field. A larger Bt amplifies coupling—small southward dips in Bz matter more when Bt is high.
Rising Bt together with southward Bz is a potent combination for auroral activity.
Coupling (E_KL):–
E_KL (Coupling Function):
EKL shows how strongly the solar wind is connecting with Earth’s magnetic field on the dayside of the planet.
When this value is high, it means the solar wind is pushing a lot of energy into Earth’s magnetic system.
That energy first builds up on the night side — in the magnetotail — until it suddenly releases as a substorm, creating brighter auroras.
So, EKL measures the charging of Earth’s magnetic system, which helps predict when the nightside aurora might burst to life.
SW Speed:–
SW Speed:
Solar wind speed controls how much energy is carried toward Earth. Faster wind ramps up driving and can sustain activity for hours.
A steady rise — or sustained speeds above ~500 km/s — often supports brighter, longer-lasting aurora.
SW Travel Time: —
SW Density:–
SW Density:
Solar wind density sets the pressure on Earth’s magnetic field. Sudden spikes compress the magnetosphere and can trigger onsets or brief brightenings.
Watch for sharp increases—especially when Bz is already south and E_KL is elevated.
Hemispheric Power:–
Hemispheric Power:
An estimate of total auroral power (in gigawatts). Higher values generally mean brighter, more widespread aurora.
Rising power confirms that energy is being converted into visible aurora — use it alongside Bz and E_KL for timing.
Bz Sustained South:–
Bz Sustained South:
Tracks how long Bz has remained negative. Persistence matters: a steady southward Bz lets energy build up in the system.
Longer durations (tens of minutes) greatly increase the odds of substorm onset and vivid displays.
Network hiccup (–). Showing last good values.
IMF Bt / Bz
IMF Bz & Bt (Chart):
This combined plot shows Bz (north–south direction) together with Bt (total IMF strength). Southward (negative) Bz "opens the gate" for energy to enter; Bt tells you how strong the magnetic field is. A higher Bt indicates a stronger magnetic field, which may lead to more intense geomagnetic activity. Note: The Bz can never be more than the Bt.
How to read it: look for Bz staying below 0 nT while Bt is elevated (e.g., ~8–10+ nT). That combo greatly increases the geoeffectiveness and often precedes auroral brightening.
Single-minute dips matter less than sustained trends over ~10–30 minutes. If Bz flips north or Bt drops, the driving weakens quickly.
2h
Bt (green), Bz (orange)
GOES Magnetometer (Hp)
GOES Magnetometer (Chart):
This chart shows Earth’s magnetic field measured by two satellites that move with the rotation of the earth so they remain stationary compared to the ground. One positioned over the U.S. East coast and another over the West coast. It reflects how the magnetosphere is responding in near-real time to the solar wind.
How to read it: as energy builds up on the night side of the Earth (stretching of the magnetotail), the chart will trend downward. The start of a substorm is commonly marked by a sudden jump / increase in the chart lines (known as dipolarization).
Use with other panels: rising Coupling (E_KL) and sustained southward (negative) Bz set the stage for a substorm. A sharp upward trend in the GOES chart usually means substorm may be happening now.
East (green), West (blue)
Solar Wind Speed
SW Speed (Chart):
Solar wind speed controls how much energy is delivered. Faster wind supports longer, brighter aurora.
Watch for increases and sustained speeds greater than ~500 km/s.
2h
km/s
Solar Wind Density
SW Density (Chart):
Solar wind (SW) density puts pressure on the Earth's magnetic field (magnetosphere). Sudden spikes in density can trigger substorms or brief brightenings.
Sharp increases matter most when Bz is already south and E_KL is high.
2h
p/cc
Hemispheric Power
Hemispheric Power (Chart):
An estimate of total auroral power shown in Gigawatts (GW). Rising power confirms that input energy is turning into visible aurora.
Values of 30-40+ GW suggest active conditions; 60+ GW is typically very bright.
2h
North (positive), South (negative)
Dst Index (Ring Current)
DST Index (Chart):
DST (Disturbance Storm Time) tracks the strength of Earth’s ring current using low-latitude magnetometers. More negative values mean a stronger geomagnetic storm and a globally depressed magnetic field.
How to read it: DST changes slowly and is NOT shown in real time. Drops below −50 nT indicate storm levels; −100 nT or lower signals an intense storm. You may also see a brief positive jump at storm start before the decline.
How to use it: Treat DST as context for overall storm severity, not a minute-to-minute trigger for chasing. For timing and rapid changes, rely on live fields like Bz, Coupling (E_KL), and the GOES Magnetometer. A steadily falling DST combined with elevated E_KL and southward Bz suggests widespread, sustained auroral activity.
Lower is stronger storm (e.g., -50, -100 nT)
Watchlist
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Click Add to Watchlist in a camera tooltip to pin it here.